1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor element having a function of detecting environmental information, and transmitting/displaying the information to the outside or adjusting environment based on the information, and methods of using this semiconductor element to acquire liquid information and discriminate a physical property change of a liquid.
Moreover, the present invention relates to an apparatus having a function of detecting ink tank inside information (e.g., ink residual amount, pressure, and the like), and transmitting/displaying the information to the outside, an apparatus having a function of adjusting environment based on the information, an ink tank provided with the elements, and ink jet recording apparatuses with the ink tank detachably attachable thereto, such as a facsimile machine, printer and copying machine.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional ink jet recording apparatus for ejecting an ink via a plurality of jet nozzles disposed in a recording head, scanning a carriage with the recording head mounted thereon with respect to a sheet, and forming an image in a dot pattern, an ink tank with the recording ink contained therein is disposed, and the ink of the ink tank is supplied to the recording head via an ink supply path. Here, an ink residual amount detection apparatus for detecting a residual amount of the ink of the ink tank is brought to practical use, and various proposals have been presented.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, an apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-143607 includes two (pair) of electrodes 702 disposed on an inner bottom surface of an ink tank 701 filled with a nonconductive ink, and a float member 703 floating on an ink surface in the ink tank 701. Two electrodes 702 are connected to a detector (not shown) for detecting a conductive state between the electrodes. Moreover, on the float member 703, an electrode 704 is disposed opposite to the electrode 702. When the ink in the ink tank 701 is consumed, a position of the float member 703 is lowered, and the electrode 704 contacts the electrodes 702. Then, the detector detects the conductive state between the electrodes 702. Thereby, it is detected that there is no ink in the ink tank 701, and an operation of an ink jet recording head 705 is stopped.
Moreover, according to Japanese Patent No. 2947245, an ink jet printer ink cartridge 805 is disclosed. As shown in FIG. 2, a lower portion of the cartridge is formed in a funnel shape toward a bottom surface thereof, two conductors 801, 802 are disposed on the bottom surface, and a metal ball 804 whose specific weight is smaller than that of an ink 803 is disposed in the cartridge. In this constitution, when the ink 803 is consumed and reduced, the liquid surface of the ink 803 is lowered. Accordingly, the position of the metal ball 804 floating on the surface of the ink 803 is lowered. When the liquid surface of the ink 803 is lowered to reach the bottom surface of an ink cartridge housing, the metal ball 804 contacts two conductors 801, 802. Then the conductors 801, 802 become conductive and a current flows therebetween. When the flowing current is detected, an ink end state can be detected. When the ink end state is detected, a user is notified of information indicating the ink end state.
In either one of the aforementioned constitutions, absence of the ink is detected by detecting whether or not there is conduction between the electrodes disposed in the ink tank. Therefore, it is necessary to dispose a detecting electrode in the ink tank. Additionally, while the ink exists in the ink tank, the current is prevented from flowing between the electrodes via the ink. Therefore, a metal ion cannot be used in an ink component, or another restriction is imposed on the ink for use.
Moreover, in the aforementioned constitution, only the presence/absence of the ink can be detected, and other tank inside information cannot be notified to the outside. For example, an ink residual amount, pressure information in the ink tank, ink physical property change, and the like are important parameters for constantly operating an ink jet head with a stable discharge amount. There is a demand for a tank by which an outside ink jet recording apparatus is notified of a tank inner pressure constantly changing with ink consumption in the tank in real time, or the change of the ink physical properties can be transmitted to the outside.
Furthermore, there is a demand for an ink tank by which the detected information in the ink tank is one-directionally transmitted to the outside, and additionally the inner information can bidirectionally be exchanged in response to a request from the outside.
In order to develop the aforementioned ink tank, the present inventor et al. have noted a ball semiconductor, manufactured by Ball Semiconductor Co., Ltd., for forming a semiconductor integrated circuit on a spherical surface of a silicon ball with a diameter of 1 mm. This ball semiconductor has a spherical shape. Therefore, when the semiconductor is contained in the ink tank, the detection of the environmental information and the bi-directional exchange of the information with the outside can expectedly efficiently be performed as a planar shape. However, when the semiconductor having such function is searched, only a technique of connecting the ball semiconductors with each other via an electric wiring, and the like are found (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,943). It is therefore necessary to develop an element itself which has the aforementioned function. Moreover, in order to effectively apply the element to the ink tank, there are some inherent problems.
First, a power for activating the element contained in the tank is supplied. When a power source for starting the element is disposed in the ink tank, the tank is enlarged in size. Even when the power source is disposed outside the tank, means for connecting the power source to the element is necessary. A tank manufacturing cost increases, a tank cartridge becomes expensive, and the element has to be started from the outside in a non-contact manner.
Secondly, the element sometimes has to float on the ink surface of the ink tank or in the ink at a given distance from the liquid surface. For example, in order to monitor a fluctuation of a negative pressure amount with time with the ink consumption in the ink tank, the element is preferably positioned on the ink surface. However, since the element is formed of silicon having a specific weight larger than that of water, it is generally difficult to float the element in the ink.
Thirdly, in a color printer, it is requested to individually and independently obtain respective ink tank inside information in response to an inquiry from the outside for respective color ink tanks and transmit the information.
Fourthly, in one mode of the tank for the ink jet head for practical use, a container is divided into a first chamber in which a porous or fibrous negative pressure generating member for generating a desired negative pressure with respect to the ink jet recording head is contained in an atmosphere connection state, and a second chamber in which a recording liquid is contained as it is. A connection path is disposed in a bottom portion of a wall for partitioning the first and second chambers in the container. This tank has a large ink storage amount and can advantageously stabilized the negative pressure with respect to the ink jet recording head as compared with a tank constituted only of the chamber in which the negative pressure generating member is contained. Therefore, there is a demand especially for an ink tank having a function such that the information such as the ink residual amount in the tank, ink physical property change, and inner pressure state can bidirectionally be exchanged with the outside in the aforementioned tank structured of two chambers.